DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER Date : 07/07/2008 Duedate: 07/19/2008 TOBIR ARENA DM-14 TURN-597 This Weeks Top Honors THE DUELMASTER IS STEWART OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) (14-4213) [15-9-3,130] Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader STEWART POSITION IS EMPTY OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) (14-4213) [15-9-3,130] Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite ECHANOSARAH MINUTE MUN THE DOGHOUSE (188) ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423) (14-4490) [19-21-0,78] (14-4545) [9-6-0,65] THE CURRENT TOP TEAM ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423) TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team 1. OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) 31 2. ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423) 28 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) 3. THE DOGHOUSE (188) 3 Unchartered Team 4. NO-HALF STEPPING (451) 1 SCARLET KNIGHTS (302) The Top Teams Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K 1/ 1 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) 297 194 23 60.5 1/ 2 ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423) 11 4 1 2/ 2 ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423) 306 232 20 56.9 2/ 1 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) 9 6 1 3/ 3 NO-HALF STEPPING (451) 59 56 5 51.3 3/ 3 THE DOGHOUSE (188) 8 7 0 4/ 5 THE DOGHOUSE (188) 532 619 9 46.2 4/ 4 NO-HALF STEPPING (451) 3 2 0 '*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn (###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank TEAM SPOTLIGHT + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Andorian Succession #8 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ + On the shores of a lake: Senator Sedalia and Gissanniah stood side by side on the shore and looked around. Across the water, along the shore each wah, at the woods behind them. Mostly pine woods, where the forest on the Isle had been mostly broadleaf trees. "So, we're not on the Isle anymore, are we?" Sedalia shook his head. "No. Ah, do you feel that you should, perhaps, have a small black dog at this point?" "What?" She turned to stare at him. "Why would I have a dog with me?" "Ah. Well... just a passing thought," the senator said. "But I do wonder if we're still even in the same world as the Isle. Well, we must be, so maybe I should say, are we still in the same world as... Andor. Iaye. The places from which we have come." "That might take some finding out." Gissanniah looked around again, then gestured to the left. "Let's get moving and see what we can find out." Sedalia looked and shrugged. Nothing to distinguish one direction from another, so what difference did it make which way they went? "Why not?" he said. Tarrgir: Fandil stared at the man--he claimed to be an officer in a fire-control company- -in shock and consternation. "You didn't even TRY to put it out?" "Why should we?" the fireman answered. "That 'military academy' was a hotbed of beast-men and elves, agents of oppression of the true people of Convincia. No skin off OUR nose if they burned down." "But... fellow citizens of the Andorian League--" "That's a joke!" "But--" Lenpro put a hand on Fandil's arm. "Leave it, my friend. This man will have good reasons for his position, and argument never changed anyone's mind." "But--" "The so-called 'Andorian League' is run by the elves and the beast-men," the fireman said. His tone was deadly serious. "They set up a whole GUILD of spies and assassins to enforce their rule and tried to persuade all us true humans that being an assassin--that SCUM--was 'noble' and worthy of admiration! What can you think about people like that except that they're sick and wicked?" He gestured at the smoking remains of the military academy. "So we're cleaning them out, and high time." Fandil seemed incapable of response, which Lenpro decided was just as well. The old mage was a exceptionally idealistic man, and he believed in the Andorian League. Lenpro believed in the League--or some form of union--also, but he was, he hoped, honest enough to admit its flaws and inequities. The League had been conceived as a counter to the Delarquan Federation, but these days he thought people forgot that it was not THE counter, not the only possible workable response. And in a way, this man's grievances were valid, or at least had elements of truth in them. The king and many of the highest lords had elven blood, a lot of it in some cases, and the Aruaki did seem to be, at the least, very prominent in the military, besides occupying a large and fertile territory within the League lands. Add to that the Assassins' Guild, the blackest blot on the Andorian culture, and he could see how it would look to a normal human who spent most of his time working on a farm. And with the total disinterest shown by the king and the central government in recent problems.... He sighed. "I see where you're coming from," he said to the fireman, "but I don't think the violence of your actions is going to do you much good in the long run." He held up his hand to stop the man's protest. "In the end, violence may be necessary--who can tell UNTIL the end? But this is the beginning, and it's a bad precedent to set. People will see this as bloody rebellion rather than rational protest." "The only people we care about are--" "What if the Delarquans or the Karnhorns come pouring over the borders to 'quell turmoil that might spill over into their lands'?" Lenpro asked. "If you've destroyed the military, who will you call on for defense?" "Oh." The fireman was silent for several minutes, obviously considering the new angle. Eventually he said, "We don't need to worry about the Delarquans, they'd have to come through Ardivent and the Aruaki Clanholds to reach us. But the Karnhorns... might be a problem. Huh. Maybe we'd better think about this." "Do," Lenpro said. "And remember that you COULD turn on your Aruaki and elven allies later and destroy them--an act worthy of any assassin! But if you destroy them first, they'll never be allies." "We'll think about this," the fireman said again. "Do." Lenpro took Fandil's arm and drew him away before he could make any of the protests that were visibly forming in his mind. Andor: Herlas cast his spell of convincing illusion on the golem-king, and it was a good one if he said so himself. Not that he would say it; for the first time in a life that had contained many questionable and self-serving acts, he was deeply ashamed of his work. He wasn't sure why; he was not, after all, some kind of wild patriot. Was he? Why had Korneth insisted on parading this fake king through the streets of Andor? Herlas had to be part of the parade in order to stay close to the target for his spell, and it made him uncomfortable. People lined the streets, but there was no cheering. No catcalls, either, just sober silence. Or sullen silence. Maybe some of them did believe they were seeing the king, but that didn't make them happy. The king was a stranger, hadn't been in Andor for years, and had done nothing for 'his' country during those years. Why should they be glad to see him? The golem rode in a carriage, waving occasionally but attempting nothing more. Herlas had advised that minimalist stance; the golem just wouldn't have been convincing if it had tried to smile. Odd, really. There were plenty of golems around these days that couldn't be told from true-born people, so why hadn't Korneth gotten one of the better ones? Did he WANT to be found out? "That is not the king." The voice was low, positive, dangerous. Herlas's hands twitched on the reins of the horse he was riding just behind the carriage, but he managed (he hoped) a suitably casual air as he glanced to the side. Damn. Lady Protector Sir Crystal Fireblade, a royal knight. He hadn't realized she was in town. Did Korneth know? More important, what was he, Herlas, going to do? The lady knight had a formidable reputation and had been pledged to serve the king directly as his protector. Hundreds of different calculations of the odds of this or that tumbled through the mage's brain. Finally he shrugged. "No. I argued against this display, but..." "Where IS the king?" "I don't know. I asked, early on. Didn't get a clear answer, and... it was made clear to me that I shouldn't ask again." A faint, ladylike snort. "Probably not." She was silent for a moment. "I went with the king to the Isle--some time ago. He vanished. Completely vanished. I have been hunting for him since then, on the Isle and in other places that can be reached from there. At first, there were rumors that he might have passed through. Nothing I could trace. Then fewer rumors, then none. Finally I came back." Her voice was bitter, and still dangerous. "I have heard some people say--whisper--that the king has sought his own happiness in some other dimension where he can still have his princess wife with him," Herlas offered. "If that should be true, I think the less of him for it," she snapped. "It isn't a king's business to seek his own happiness, especially at the expense of his responsibilities to his people." Herlas did not say that such a sense of responsibility was hard to imagine. Once it would have been, but lately he was beginning to wonder. Still, if the king truly was gone--or dead--and without heirs, what was there left? "What do you propose to do?" he asked. "It was not the king's intention to abandon Andoria, on that last trip to the Isle," she said slowly. "Mind you don't let your illusion slip!" Herlas adjusted it hastily. "So I think someone persuaded him--I do not know what means might have been used, but it could have been done, I think--and whisked him away. That person, I will find." Her hand clenched on the reins of her mount. "Oh, yes, I will find him. Or HER, if it was--" It was Herlas's turn to give warning. The Grey Witch had ears everywhere. "Do not mention that person!" She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Yes. No names without proof." "And no vengeance without proof." Gods, the irony that HE, Herlas of Zensu, should be the one to argue prudence and fair dealing! "And what good will it do Andoria, when your vengeance has fallen on the deserving party?" "What?" "Who will be king then? Or will the League fall apart and be subject to the attacks of its neighbors--many of whom do not love it." "I hadn't thought beyond-- I don't know who will take the throne," the lady knight said. After a moment, she added, "We're facing a civil war, aren't we?" "I think so, yes. That is why, one reason why, I have gone along with this travesty." He gestured at the golem. "It buys a little time." * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * ---===ANDORIAN REGIONAL NEWS===--- Duelmasters ----------- DM 8 ARKERS (turn 297): UNHOLY TERROR of BLOOD RITES (Wretch, mgr.) DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 596): CHIEF SITTING BULL of BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.) DM 14 TOBIR (turn 596): STEWART of OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.) DM 22 SOLVEN (turn 589): DONDRIC of KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.) DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 585): MORLIN POOLE of KRILL CAVALRY (Jorja, mgr.) DM 25 LYRATILAN (turn 585): KEG STAND of BARHOPPERS (Apex, mgr.) DM 26 CALEAM (turn 582): IRIS of MENAGERIE (Ichabod Frothingslosh, mgr.) DM 30 IAYE (turn 578): WORLD CHUMPS of THE A'S -- LOSERS II (Malaquar, mgr.) DM 40 ZENSU (turn 547): POSITION IS EMPTY DM 41 KATI-TEI (turn 538): RAMBLING OX of WANDERERS (Jorja, mgr.) DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 529): GODZILLA of THE BEARS II (Papa Bear, mgr.) DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 245): PAINFUL PANSY of FLOWER GIRLS (Lady Fern, mgr.) DM 63 AMEN-TEI (turn 431): DIMAGGIO oF 1949 YANKEES (Papa Bear, mgr.) DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 198): TRYPTOPHAN of SUPERIOR FORCES (Manager, mgr.) ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 481): AXLY HIMSELF of GERFEL'S FRIENDS (Generalissimo Puerco) Top Teams --------- DM 8 ARKERS (turn 297): CONSANGUINEOUS (Mannequin, mgr.) DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 596): BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.) DM 14 TOBIR (turn 586): POSITION IS EMPTY DM 22 SOLVEN (turn 589): KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.) DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 585): MEDAL OF HONOR F3 (The Anarchist, mgr.) DM 25 LYRATILAN (turn 585): BARHOPPERS (Apex, mgr.) DM 26 CALEAM (turn 582): ULTRA-VIOLENT (Deep Thought, mgr.) DM 30 IAYE (turn 578): RED DOG GANG (Jojra, mgr.) DM 40 ZENSU (turn 547): MEDAL OF HONOR G1 (The Anarchist, mgr.) DM 41 KATI-TEI (turn 538): MEDAL OF HONOR H3 (The Anarchist, mgr.) DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 529): DEATHTONGUE (Technogeek, mgr.) DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 245): BLOOD AND GUTS! (Le Pentarque, mgr.) DM 63 AMEN-TEI (turn 431): 1949 YANKEES (Papa Bear, mgr.) DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 198): THE ZOO (Jorja, mgr.) ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 481): SUPERIOR FORCES (Manager, mgr.) Recent Graduates ---------------- DM 8 ARKERS (turn 296): HAMMURABI of SMITHSONIAN (Curator, mgr.) DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 596): CHIEF SITTING BULL of BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.) DELIA'S GONE of ELFQUEST (Armalias, mgr.) DM 30 IAYE (turn 578): WORLD CHUMPS of THE A'S -- LOSERS II (Malaquar, mgr.) WINDSONG of RED DOG GANG (Jorja, mgr.) DM 40 ZENSU (turn 547): PARTICLE MAN of NEUROMANCERS (Rude Buddha, mgr.) SPY REPORT It's me, The Unknown Spymaster, back to give you this week's Spy Report. Sit back in your seats and we'll have more fun than a barrel of Zontanis. Say good-bye to OTAGO HIGHLANDERS, as they are pushed from the coveted top team spot by the ALL THE MUN'S MEN stable. Hey everybody, watch out for DALMORE, who flew up 16 points in the rankings after mashing TRUSTWORTHY SCRIBE like a melon. Keep your eye on this guy. And falling like a basher in the top ten was ECHANOSARAH, who dropped 13 points after a disappointing (to say the least) bout with NOBLE ASSASSIN. Going for the gusto and coming up with aught but bloody knuckles was NO-HALF STEPPING's LRB, who was turned away from the Duelmastership by STEWART. Can you believe they are paying me 10 gold to deliver this stuff? But enough of that bunch, let's get on to the wimps who like to avoid battle! Death is kind of like a new puppy: he's always around wanting to play. (Ha Zontani, how's that for a wise saying?). It's not often when you see a 6-3-0 warrior like MISS MUTT kick the bucket. I wonder if THE DOGHOUSE will recover from the blow. And who needs the Dark Arena if you've got WESTON around? This week he decorated his armor with MISS MUTT. Who's next? Knowing when to use the right tactics at the proper time is a very important step on the road to Duelmaster. Well, that wasn't too bad; Alarond told me that the people in TOBIR have no sense of humor. Or maybe that they were senseless. Okay, so I may not be the world's best comedian, but then you guys aren't the world's best warriors. Hasta la bye-bye. (Loud choruses of 'Beat it, ya bum!')-- The Unknown Spymaster DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME STEWART 4213 15 9 3 130 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME GINKOR 4515 19 12 0 100 THE DOGHOUSE (188) WESTON 4137 17 11 3 100 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) WHOLE MUTT 4516 16 15 0 91 THE DOGHOUSE (188) CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME LRB 4488 11 10 0 87 NO-HALF STEPPING (451) ECHANOSARAH 4490 19 21 0 78 THE DOGHOUSE (188) CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME LITTLE BIG MUN 4559 7 0 0 66 ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423) MINUTE MUN 4545 9 6 0 65 ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423) GEORGE FOREMUN 4187 13 9 0 60 ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME MUN OVER BOARD 4219 12 6 1 52 ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423) MR FANG 4550 6 4 0 45 THE DOGHOUSE (188) CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME TWO BUCK CHUCK 4558 3 0 0 33 NO-HALF STEPPING (451) RAIN MUN 4561 3 0 1 28 ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423) BOMBAY 4519 3 18 0 27 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ANZAC 4560 3 3 0 21 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) DALMORE 4563 1 0 0 16 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) -CODECRACKER 4518 2 4 0 10 NO-HALF STEPPING (451) -BIGGER THOMAS 4532 0 1 0 3 NO-HALF STEPPING (451) '-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn. THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge? TRUSTWORTHY SCRI 0 0 0 RAIN MUN 4561 597 NONE MISS MUTT 4557 6 3 0 THE DOGHOUSE 188 WESTON 4137 597 PERSONAL ADS Stewart -- Ah, so macho! -- Echanosarah A Noble Assassin? As if! And not much of a gladiator, either. -- Ginkor Weston -- I suppose you prefer some kind of pedigreed poodless, don't you? -- Miss Mutt Minute Mun -- I was hoping for a wiener mun, but I can make do with what appears. Adaptable, that's me. -- Whole Mutt Little Big Mun -- (shocked look) Give them back! You can't seriously be considering a necklace of dog teeth? It will do nothing for your image. Dog teeth are only inpressive when in the dog's mouth. -- Mr Fang LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS STEWART devastated LRB in a 1 minute mismatched Title fight. GINKOR vanquished VIRGINAL CONCUBINE in a 1 minute uneven battle. ECHANOSARAH was subdued by NOBLE ASSASSIN in a 1 minute uneven fight. WHOLE MUTT unbelievably bested MINUTE MUN in a 2 minute gory contest. WESTON assassinated MISS MUTT in a 1 minute mismatched match. LITTLE BIG MUN devastated DELARQUAN SAILOR in a 1 minute one-sided duel. GEORGE FOREMUN bested CIVILIZED CRIMINAL in a crowd pleasing 1 minute bloody match. MUN OVER BOARD defeated DELARQUAN SAILOR in a 1 minute expert vs. beginner melee. MR FANG vanquished ANZAC in a 1 minute one-sided duel. TWO BUCK CHUCK won victory over BOMBAY in a 2 minute duel. RAIN MUN assassinated TRUSTWORTHY SCRIBE in a 1 minute one-sided fight. DALMORE overcame TRUSTWORTHY SCRIBE in a exciting 1 minute novice's bout. BATTLE REPORT MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS |FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT| |LUNGING ATTACK 6 PARRY-STRIKE 3 - 0 - 1 100 | |AIMED BLOW 2 WALL OF STEEL 13 - 3 - 0 81 | |SLASHING ATTACK 2 TOTAL PARRY 12 - 6 - 0 67 | |WALL OF STEEL 2 STRIKING ATTACK 4 - 2 - 0 67 | |PARRY-LUNGE 1 SLASHING ATTACK 14 - 8 - 1 64 | |PARRY-STRIKE 1 BASHING ATTACK 7 - 4 - 2 64 | |STRIKING ATTACK 1 PARRY-LUNGE 6 - 4 - 0 60 | |BASHING ATTACK 1 AIMED BLOW 6 - 4 - 0 60 | |TOTAL PARRY 1 LUNGING ATTACK 30 - 32 - 1 48 | |PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 2 - 0 33 | Turn 597 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are: PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 5 LUNGING ATTACK PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 0 1 SLASHING ATTACK STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 0 1 BASHING ATTACK BASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 1 TOTAL PARRY TOTAL PARRY 1 - 0 1 AIMED BLOW AIMED BLOW 1 - 1 1 WALL OF STEEL LUNGING ATTACK 3 - 3 1 PARRY-LUNGE SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 1 WALL OF STEEL 1 - 1 TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME SLASHING ATTACK STEWART 4213 15 9 3 130 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) LUNGING ATTACK GINKOR 4515 19 12 0 100 THE DOGHOUSE (188) FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME BASHING ATTACK WESTON 4137 17 11 3 100 OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) TOTAL PARRY WHOLE MUTT 4516 16 15 0 91 THE DOGHOUSE (188) AIMED BLOW LRB 4488 11 10 0 87 NO-HALF STEPPING (451) WALL OF STEEL LITTLE BIG MUN 4559 7 0 0 66 ALL THE MUN'S MEN (423) PARRY-LUNGE MR FANG 4550 6 4 0 45 THE DOGHOUSE (188) Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above. The overall popularity leader is ECHANOSARAH 4490. The most popular warrior this turn was MINUTE MUN 4545. The ten other most popular fighters were BOMBAY 4519, STEWART 4213, GEORGE FOREMUN 4187, MUN OVER BOARD 4219, DALMORE 4563, GINKOR 4515, WHOLE MUTT 4516, WESTON 4137, LITTLE BIG MUN 4559, and MR FANG 4550. The least popular fighter this week was ANZAC 4560. The other ten least popular fighters were MISS MUTT 4557, LRB 4488, RAIN MUN 4561, ECHANOSARAH 4490, TWO BUCK CHUCK 4558, MR FANG 4550, LITTLE BIG MUN 4559, WESTON 4137, WHOLE MUTT 4516, and GINKOR 4515. The following warriors will travel to AD after next turn: STEWART (14-4213) OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (348) GINKOR (14-4515) THE DOGHOUSE (188)